


Sidestep makes a friend

by SkyJourney



Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén
Genre: Cat Cafe, Fluff, Other, Pets, and herald gets absolutely covered in cats, sidestep makes a friend, this is like a year old but i never posted it so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:00:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22306072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyJourney/pseuds/SkyJourney
Summary: Herald and Remy go to a cat cafe on a date and its cute and fluffy.
Relationships: Herald/Sidestep (Fallen Hero)
Kudos: 10





	Sidestep makes a friend

Herald standing in the play area of a cat cafe holding a tiny white kitten in his arms wasn’t how Remy had imagined their day going, but they smiled at the sight. The kitten could be at most a few weeks old, and even from the bench they were perched on near the wall, Remy could see its big trusting eyes staring at Herald. 

This serene moment was broken up by a loud cry of “ouch, claws, sharp!” 

Remy chuckled as Herald struggled to put down the kitten held against his chest, screaming to be let down while attaching itself more securely to Herald’s shirt. Gently he freed the claws on one of its paws, only for it to secure its grip with the other one. By the time he gave up and decided the best course of action was to lie down on the ground and let the kitten find its own way down, Remy was choking on the laugh they were desperately trying to suppress, their breathing becoming irregular and turning into a sharp cough. Herald threw an exasperated look their way, his big eyes and annoyed expression oddly reflecting the face of the kitten struggling to find a way down to the floor. 

Herald had been so excited to take Remy here. A quiet place, far from any crowds, with a bunch of cats to pet- the perfect combination for Remy to actually enjoy themselves on a date in a public space. He was right too, but what he hadn’t counted on was that most of Remy’s amusement would come from watching him struggle to handle all the room’s cats, which seemed drawn to him before anyone else. 

“They’ve got sharp claws Remy! It’s not- stop laughing, it’s not funny- hey!” Herald’s protests were cut short as a black and white spotted cat seized the opportunity to begin grooming him, her sharp claws holding Herald’s face down as she not-so-gently licking hair. “Please don’t ruin my look, I’m trying to impress my date.” As if in answer to his protests, she pulled at his hair with her teeth, eliciting a short “ouch” before Herald could gently push her away. 

It was like the cats were drawn to Herald, as soon as he put one down, the next one was already his feet, rubbing itself against his legs and nuzzling his outstretched hand with its face. It wasn’t a particularly large area- most of the cats were in the cafe portion out front, with only those in need of a more quiet experience in the back portion. The compromise suited Remy just fine- they could deal with less cats on the condition that there were also less people. They still had their pick from the group of misfit rescues: there was the black and white cat that was now perched high on a cat tree, still desperately trying to groom Herald’s hair now that he was standing, her three surviving kittens, several cats vying for Herald’s attention including an orange spotted cat missing a portion of its tail, and, most notably, an old gray cat whose legs seemed to almost creak as it shuffled around, far away from the commotion at the center of the room. 

Herald had tried to pet it when they first entered the room, insisting that, despite the angry look on its smushed in face, it must secretly be the friendliest cat of them all. 

It very much was not. 

After a quick warning swipe it had run off to hide in a felt-lined cube in the back corner of the room, its eyes following every movement the two humans disturbings its space made. After no one moved to follow it, it slowly crawled out of its warm and safe cube, and directed its attention towards Remy, sitting alone as the rest of the play area’s inhabitants were drawn to Herald. Carefully it began to move towards the bench, stopping at every sudden movement or loud noise. With its journey so slow, it took Remy a few minutes to notice the cat standing several feet away, freezing as soon as they felt Remy’s eyes on them. With an understanding smile, Remy directed their gaze back to Herald, and a few minutes later they heard a quiet thud as the old cat jumped onto the bench next to them. Cautiously it sniffed Remy’s hand, and, seemingly satisfied with what it learned, rubbed its face against it. Remy responded by slowly and gently scratching it behind the ears, and after a few minutes the cat finally curled up on Remy’s lap. 

The two sat in content silence, satisfied with watching the scene at the center of the room, where the mother cat fed her children while Herald led the rest of the cats on wild toy mice chases. It was several minutes before the silence was broken. 

“You know, it figures that I take you to a nice warm place with lots of cute kittens, and the only cat you interact with is the grouchiest, oldest, meanest cat that refuses to let anyone else near it.” 

Remy gently ran their hand over the grey cat’s head. Content, it stretched its front paws out and let out an audible purr. “We came to an understanding."

**Author's Note:**

> The original google doc for this (from a few months ago) had a note at the bottom crediting my friend for one of the lines and describing them as "the only person who will ever read this." 
> 
> I haven't edited this since writing it in March but I was just thinking about how much I love Herald and Remy they are *clutches heart* good.


End file.
